Elevator.



No. 789,680 PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

A. AKER.

ELEVATOR.

nrmomron FILED DEO.17, 1904.

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Inventor,

Httomegs Patented May 9, 1905.

PATENT @rrrcs.

ANTON AKER, OF HELENA, MONTANA.

ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,680, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed December 17, 1904:. Serial No. 237,305.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTON AKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clarke and State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Elevator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elevators, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this character wherein the hoisting apparatus is controllable by hand from the car for running the latter up and down and for stopping the same at any point in the elevatorshaft.

While the present elevator is capable of use in buildings, it has been particularly designed for use in mine-shafts, wherein it becomes necessary to increase the length of the path of the car as the shaft is sunk to lower levels; and therefore it is a further object of the present invention to provide for paying out or increasing the lengths of the suspension-cable and the drag-cable to permit of the increased length of travel of the car. In this connection it is proposed to maintain the excess portions of the drag and suspension cables upon the counterweight and to provide for controlling and paying out the cables from a position upon the car in a simple and expeditious manner.

With these and other objects in View the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims,'it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of an elevator-shaft embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged crosssectional View of the counterweight. 4 is a detail plan section illustrating the manner of guiding the counterweight.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

The shaft for the present elevator is of any common or preferred construction, theembodiment shown in the accompanying drawings including upright frame members 1, connected at their upper ends by suitable crossbars 2 and at their lower ends by other crossbars, '3.

The hoisting apparatus is mounted upon a pair of the upper cross-bars 2 and includes a shaft 4:, mounted in suitable bearings 5 and carrying a drum made up of the sections 6, 7, 8, and 9, all of which are fixed upon the shaft. The drum-section 7 is relatively small and lies between the larger sections .6 and 9 and is provided with a peripheral series of substantially radial pins 10, projected outwardly from the drum-section and alternately inclined in opposite directions toward the respective ends of the drum, with the suspension-cable 11 passing in a sinuous path around the drumsection 7 and between the annular series of pins, thereby to prevent slipping of the suspension-cable without requiring that the cable be wound several times around the drum and also wound around other drums or wheels, as in ordinary forms of elevators, thereby materially simplifying the manner of suspending the car 12, which is connected to one end of the suspension-cable.

In rear of the car is the counterweight 13, consisting of asubstantially rectangular frame having pairs of upper and lower cross-bars 14 and 15, the ends of which project beyond the upright sides of the frame and slidably embrace aguide or track 16, included in the shaft, there being an antifriction-roller 17 mounted between the ends of the cross-bars so as to travel against the guide or track 16, thereby to take up friction and endwise play of the counterweight. If desired, a metal bar 18 may be applied to the track or guideway 16 to take the wear of the antifriction-rollers 17 Intermediate upright side bars 19 and 20 connect the upper and lower cross-bars of the counterweight-frame and constitute supports for a shaft 21, which pierces said bars, the rear end of the shaft being provided with a head 22 and its front end being projected in front the nut 23.

of the counterweight and threaded to receive Upon this shaft is a rotatable drum 24, which is provided at opposite ends with the heads and 26 and has an intermediate annular partition 27 dividing the drum into two sections. A handle 28 in the nature of a lever is carried by the nut 23 for the purpose of tightening the nut to draw the sides of thecounterweight-frame into engagement with the ends of the drum to thereby lock the latter against rotation. The nut may be readily loosened by manipulating the handle 28 and the drum thereby permitted to rotate upon its shaft 21 for a purpose as will be hereinafter described. After passing rearwardly from the hoisting-drum the cable depends in rear of the car and passes downwardly through a guide-opening 29 in the top of the counterweight-frame and is wound upon the drum 24 between the head 25 and the partition 27. A drag-cable 30 has its upper end wound around the drum 24 between the head 26 and the partition 27 and depends through an opening 31 in the bottom of the counterweight-frame, the free end of the drag-cable being connected to the bottom of the car, as at 32, so as to rise and fall with the latter. One of the heads of the drum 24, preferably the rear head 26, is provided with a peripheral series of ratchetteeth 33, and a dog 34 is mounted upon the counterweight-frame and engages the ratchetteeth to prevent rotation of the drum under the tension of the suspension-cable, and thereby to remove strain from the nut 23.

For rotating the hoisting-drum, so as to raise and lower the car, there is an endless pull-cable 35 running over the drum-section 6 and around the idle drum or pulley 36, mounted at the bottom of the shaft, the front portion of the pull-cable being accessible at the front of the car, so as to be manually controlled for rotating the hoisting-drum. It will here be explained that the car and the counterweight are substantially equal in weight, so as to balance one another, whereby upon pulling down upon the front portion of the pull-cable 35 the hoisting-drum will be rotated, so as to lower the car, and a reverse pull upon the front portion of the pull-cable will elevate the car. If the rear portion of the pull-cable is to be manipulated, a clownward pull thereon will elevate the car, while an upward pull will lower the car.

In order that the car may be stopped at any point in the shaft, there is provided a brakeband 37, embracing the lower portion of the section 9 of the hoisting-drum, with one end connected to one of the upper cross-bars of the shaft, as at 38, and its opposite free end connected to a vertically-swinging lever 39, fulcrumed intermediate of its ends, asat 40, upon the front portion of the shaft and having a controlling-cable 41 connected to the outer end of the lever and extended downwardly into the bottom of the shaft in position for access from the car, whereby upon pulling down upon the cable 41 the brake may be applied to stop the rotation of the hoisting-drum, and thereby stop the movement of the car. A cleat or other device 42 is provided upon the frame of the car in position for access from the floor or platform thereof in order that the brake-cable 41 may engage therewith to maintain the brake applied when it is desired to leave the car, there of course being sufficient slack in the lower portion of the brake-cable to permit of the cable being engaged with the cleat.

When the elevator is originally installed, predetermined portions of the drag and suspension cables 30 and 11 are permitted to extend from the counterweight, the surplus cable portions being wound upon the drum 24 and the latter rendered non-rotatable by means of the dog 34 and the clamping-nut 23, whereby the path of movement of the car is limited to the available portion of the suspensionca ble. Should it be desired to permit the car to travel below its original limit, the car and the counterweight are brought to approximately the same level in order that the counterweight may be accessible from the platform of the car, whereupon the dog 34 is thrown off from the ratchet and the handle 28 of the nut 23 is depressed, so as to loosen the nut, and thereby permit the drum 24 to rotate under the weight of the car and the counterweight, said car and counterweight simultaneously descending to the desired point, and then the dog 34 is thrown back upon the ratchet and the lever 28 is manipulated to tighten the nut 23, so as to prevent .further rotation of the drum. During the descent of the car and the counterweight additional portions of the suspension-cable 11 and the dragcable 30 are unwound and paid out from the drum 24, so as to increase the length of the suspension-cable 11, and thereby permit of an increased path of movement for the car. The purpose of simultaneously paying out the drag-cable 30 in direct proportion to the increase in the suspension-cable is to prevent the drag-cable from interfering with the car in its increased path of movement and at the same time to counterbalance the increased weight of the suspension-cable, whereby the proper counterbalance is maintained between the car and the counterweight.

When the path of the car is to be decreased, it is of course necessary to wind the drag and suspension cables upon the drum 24, and to accomplish this result the drum is provided with a terminal hub extension 46, having a peripheral series of radial seats or sockets 47 for the individual reception of the lever or bar 48, whereby when thenut 23 has been loosened the drum may be rotated by drawing down upon the lever 48 to wind the cables upon the drum. When the lever or bar has been depressed as far as possible, it is removed from the drum andreplaced in one of the upper seats or sockets 47 and depressed, this operation being repeated to wind the cables upon the drum, and therefore elevate the car to what is to be its lowest limit, the nut 23 being tightened, so as to lock the drum and prevent accidental unwinding of cables. During the rotation of the drum to wind the cables thereon backward movement of the drum under the weight of the car is prevented by the dog 3 f.

While it is primarily intended to have the hoisting apparatus manually operated, the hoisting-drumis capable of being conveniently connected to a hoisting-engine by the provision of the drum-section 8, around which a cable 43 is designed to be passed and carried off to a hoisting-engine, (not shown,) the other end being connected to a hook 44, provided upon the top of the car for this purpose.

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. An elevator having a counterweight, drag and suspension cables connected thereto, and means for simultaneously paying out the drag and suspension cables from the counterweight to accommodate for the increased path of movement of the car.

2. In an elevator, the combination of a car, a counterweight, a drum carried by one of these members, a suspension-cable connecting the car and the counterweight and wound upon the drum, and a drag-cable connected to the car and the counterweight and wound upon the drum, the drum capable of being rotated to simultaneously unwind the suspension and drag cables therefrom to permit of an increased path of movement of the car.

3. In an elevator, the combination of a car, a counterweight, a drum carried by the counterweight, a suspension-cable connected to the car and wound upon the drum, and a dragcable connected to the car and wound upon the drum, the drum being normally held against rotation and capable of being rotated to simultaneously unwind the suspension and drag cables therefrom to permit of an increased path of movement of the car.

at. In an elevator, the combination of a car, a counterweight having upper and lower cable-guides and a drum carried by the frame between the guides, a suspension-cable connected to the car and passing through the upper guide of the counterweight and wound upon the drum, and a drag-cable connected to the car and passing upwardly through the lower guide of the counterweight and wound upon the drum, the drum being normally fixed against rotation and capable of being rotated to simultaneously unwind the drag and suspension cables therefrom.

, 5. In an elevator, the combination of a car, a counterweight, a drum carried by the counterweight, a suspension-cable connected to the car and wound upon the drum, adrag-cable connected to the car and wound upon the drum, means to normally prevent rotation of the drum and capable of being shifted to release the drum and permit rotation thereof, and means to control the rotation of the drum for unwinding the drag and suspension cables therefrom.

6. In an elevator, the combination of a car, a counterweight, a drum carried by the counterweight, a suspension-cable connected to the car and wound upon the drum, a drag-cable connected to the car and wound upon the drum, ratchet mechanism to normally prevent rotation of the drum, and brake mechanism to control the rotation of the drum when the ratchet mechanism is released.

7. In an elevator, the combination of a car, a counterweight-frame, a shaft carried by the frame and having a projected threaded end, a drum rotatable upon the shaft, a nut carried by the threaded end of the shaft for drawing the frame against the drum to form a brake mechanism for controlling the rotation of the drum, means for manipulating the nut, a suspension-cable connected to the car and wound upon the drum, and a drag-cable connected to the car and wound upon the drum.

8. In an elevator, the combination of a car, a counterweight-frame, a shaft carried by the frame and having a projected threaded terminal, a drum rotatable upon the shaft and provided with opposite heads and an intermediate partition dividing the drum into sec tions, one of the heads being provided with an annular series of ratchet-teeth, a dog upon I the counterweight frame and cooperating with the ratchet-teeth, a handled nut upon the threaded terminal of the shaft to draw the sides of the frame into engagement with the drum to form a brake mechanism for controlling the rotation of the drum, upper and lower guides carried by the counterweightframe and leading to the respective drumsections, a suspension-cable connected to the car and passing through the upper guide to one section of the drum, and a drag-cable connected to the car and passing upwardly through the lower guide to the other section of the drum.

9. An elevator having suspension and drag cables and means for increasing and decreasing the lengths of said cables to vary the length of the path of travel of the car.

10. An elevator having a suspension-cable and a drag-cable, each of the cables having surplus portions, and means for paying out the surplus portions to increase the path of travel of the car and for winding the cables to decrease the path of travel of the car.

11. An elevator having a counterweight, drag and suspension cables wound thereon, and means to wind and unwind the cables upon the counterweight to vary the path of travel of the car.

the drum being provided with an annular series of seats, and a handle-bar for detachable engagement with the individual seats to rotate the drum.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ANTON AKER.

Witnesses:

CARL DEGNELL, B. C. BROOKE. 

